Hung Liu

"Hung Liu is widely considered one of the most important Chinese artists working in America today. Born in 1948 in Chanchung, China, Liu grew up under the Maoist regime. She experienced first-hand the famine of Mao’s Great Leap Forward, and later studied social realist painting during the Cultural Revolution. Liu has been the recipient of several awards, including two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at museums, cultural institutions and included in several prestigious collections."
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Rachelle Reichert

Hung Liu was awarded the prestigious SGC International Award for Lifetime Achievement in Printmaking in 2011.

It has been a great honor to work with Liu on a variety of collaborative projects since 2003.

Hung coined the term “Za Zhong”, (or “bastard paintings”) to explain how this body of work bridges printmaking technique with the more gestural elements of painting. “Za Zhong” is the viable hybrid of both painting and printmaking. Conceptually these pieces seek to address three elements of Hung’s work: Her painting rooted in the style of social realism, her use of two dimensional decorative motifs from historical sources, and her use of abstract expressionist flourish.
These elements are tied together in layers of metallic leaf, printed transparency, resin and hand painting in an innovative way which plays with light and depth that is not found in either painting or printmaking. An eigth of an inch of resin separates layers of opaque, transparent, translucent and reflective materials. This creates a quality of light which is not static, and interacts with each layer to become an object that is internally lit by ambient light.

Hung coined the term “Za Zhong”, (or “bastard paintings”) to explain how this body of work bridges printmaking technique with the more gestural elements of painting. “Za Zhong” is the viable hybrid of both painting and printmaking. Conceptually these pieces seek to address three elements of Hung’s work: Her painting rooted in the style of social realism, her use of two dimensional decorative motifs from historical sources, and her use of abstract expressionist flourish.
These elements are tied together in layers of metallic leaf, printed transparency, resin and hand painting in an innovative way which plays with light and depth that is not found in either painting or printmaking. An eigth of an inch of resin separates layers of opaque, transparent, translucent and reflective materials. This creates a quality of light which is not static, and interacts with each layer to become an object that is internally lit by ambient light.

Hand Drawn Lithographs

All lithographic prints were executed on a 1972 Mailander flatbed proof press. Thirty years ago, the proofs of a color print job were printed on these presses. These proofs were then matched by the faster web offset presses. However, since the Mailander proofs were printed at a slower speed, thicker ink film, and higher pressure, the impressions though superior, were difficult to match; they were simply too good. With the advent of film proofs and digital printers for proofing, these fantastic presses became obsolete as proofing presses. Ironically, the qualities that made them obsolete are the same ones that make them perfect for printing fine art lithographs. The sharp impressions, thick ink films and capacity to print a wide tonal range are perfect for fine art lithography